Mandera South MP, Adan Haji has called for urgent help in form of food aid in an attempt to assist families in Mandera South suffering from drought which is dominating the area.
The persistent drought in the region has left approximately 80% of the constituent’s i.e 208,000 reliant on food aid for survival with shockingly high rates of severe acute malnutrition among children and death of livestock across the constituency.
As you are aware, there is an ongoing humanitarian crisis in many parts of arid and semi-arid areas in Kenya and in particular in Mandera South Constituency within Mandera County. The constituency comprises of two (2) sub-counties mainly Mandera Central and Kutulo Sub-county with a total of Five (5) wards. The geographical area of Mandera South constituency is estimated to be 5,502 sq.km and has a human population of approximately 260,000.
The consequences of this adversity is massive distress movements of population causing interrupted education, massive drying up of sources of water, livestock dying due to lack of fodder and in some cases the livestock owners are forced to sell at distress prices or just abandon to fend for themselves.
Further, the Constituency has seen an upsurge of violent terrorist attacks in the recent years leading To Non-Government actors previously complementing government’s effort through relief assistance to close and move to other safer regions. This has had a negative consequence considering the significant contributions and role NGOs play in mitigating humanitarian crisis like we are facing now.
The security challenges coupled with the cumulative impact of up to Four (4) failed rainy seasons In the Constituency makes the situation wanting. The continuous movement of pastoralist within Mandera County during this drought season is likely to trigger and spark conflict due to struggle between communities for limited water and pasture
